JP2000241008A - Remote control device for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a small-sized remote control device for an air conditioner having good holding properties and easy operation. SOLUTION: The housing has a shape in which one end in a longitudinal direction is tapered and has a shape thicker than the other end, a battery housing portion is provided on a thick end portion of the housing, and a display portion is provided on one end having a wide width. Is provided inside the display unit, one of the plurality of operation modes is specified, a plurality of operation buttons for driving the specified operation mode are arranged in a horizontal direction, and further, the plurality of operation buttons are provided inside the operation button. And one stop button for stopping the operation specified by the operation button.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small-sized air conditioner remote control device for remotely controlling an air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional air conditioner, for example, an indoor unit mounted on an indoor wall surface and an outdoor unit installed outdoors, is a separate type that uses a refrigeration cycle to cool and heat the room. In an air conditioner, it is common to perform operation / stop, switching of cooling / heating, setting of a timer, and the like by an operation device (hereinafter, referred to as a remote controller) that performs remote control using an infrared signal.

[0003] In these conventional remote controllers, a display section and various operation switches are centrally arranged on the front of a thin, vertically long and flat main body, and operation instructions input through these various operation switches are converted into infrared signals. By transmitting an infrared signal from an infrared transmitting unit provided at the tip of the indoor unit, this signal is received by the infrared receiving unit of the indoor unit and the operation of the indoor unit is enabled.

[0004] In these conventional remote controllers, since many operation switches and a display unit are concentrated on one side of a small remote controller, various operations can be performed by operating in this area. However, since many operation switches are centrally arranged, the operation becomes complicated, and contrivances for improving the operability, such as enlarging the operation switches that are frequently used, for example, the operation / stop switch, etc., are made. . In particular, it is necessary to reduce the size of each operation switch due to the downsizing of the device, and thus a device for further improving the operability has become important.

In view of the above, some conventional remote controllers have an operation switch that is frequently used on the surface and an operation switch that is less frequently used is provided in the opening / closing lid.

Such a conventional example is disclosed in, for example,
No. 30437.

[0007]

The remote controller of the air conditioner has an operation mode changeover switch for switching between operation / stop and cooling, heating, dehumidification, air blowing, automatic operation, and the like. By pressing,
The operation can be started in the operation mode set previously. When switching the operation mode, after pressing the run / stop switch, press the operation mode switch switch several times until the desired operation mode is reached, while checking the display section where the operation instruction status is displayed. Need to be done.

These operations are good when the automatic operation mode is selected and the operation mode set in advance is unchanged or when the air conditioner is automatically operated for cooling, heating, etc., but is changed. In such a case, it is necessary to press a small operation mode changeover switch to set a desired mode, and it is necessary to take several steps before the setting, so that there is a troublesome operation. In particular,
In the case where the mode selection switch is provided in the opening / closing lid, further improvement in operability such as recognition of the position of the switch, opening / closing operation of the opening / closing lid, or pressing of the switch while confirming a small display is demanded. Was.

Further, in the above-mentioned conventional example, a thin box-like shape is provided to be stored in a holder or the like on a wall surface, so that there is a problem in retention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized remote controller for an air conditioner which can be easily operated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized remote control device for an air conditioner which has good holding properties and can be easily operated.

[0012]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remote control device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is a remote control device for an air conditioner that performs remote control via infrared signals. A plurality of operation buttons for specifying one of the operation modes and operating the specified operation mode by one operation, and a single stop button for stopping the operation specified by one of the plurality of operation buttons Be prepared.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an air conditioner operating device according to the present invention is an air conditioner remote operating device that performs remote control via an infrared signal. A casing having a longer dimension and a smaller depth dimension than the lateral dimension, the casing having a wide surface as a front face, a display section and a plurality of operation switches arranged on the front face, and one end of the front face in a longitudinal direction. The width of the other end is tapered, the other end is tapered, and the other end is shaped to have a depth greater than the one end having the wide width, and the end of one end having the wide width is provided with an infrared transmitting section. ,
A battery storage section is provided on the other end side, and further, a display section is provided on the one end side where the lateral width is wide, and one of a plurality of operation modes is specified inside the display section in the longitudinal direction of the housing, A plurality of operation buttons for operating the specified operation mode by one operation are arranged in a horizontal direction, and one of the plurality of operation buttons is provided inside a longitudinal direction of the housing of the operation buttons.
One stop button for stopping the operation specified by one stop button is provided.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the air conditioner, FIG. 2 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the air conditioner, FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of the sub remote operation unit, FIGS. 4 to 8 are structural diagrams of the sub remote operation unit, 9 and 10 are use state diagrams of the sub remote operation unit.

First, a schematic structure of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, an air conditioner 1 according to the present invention can operate an indoor unit 10 mounted on an indoor wall surface, an outdoor unit 50 installed outdoors (see FIG. 2), and operation of the air conditioner. It comprises a possible main remote control unit 100 (hereinafter referred to as main remote control) and a sub remote control unit 200 (hereinafter referred to as sub remote control).

The indoor unit 10 is provided with an indoor heat exchanger 112 and an indoor blower 113 (see FIG. 2) therein, and is connected to the outdoor unit 50 via a refrigerant pipe and electric wiring, so that the indoor unit 10 Heat exchange can be performed using the unit 50 and a refrigeration cycle to perform indoor cooling and heating, dehumidifying operation, and the like.

This refrigeration cycle will be outlined with reference to FIG. The air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment can employ, for example, a refrigeration cycle diagram shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 1 includes a compressor 5
1, the four-way valve 14, the outdoor heat exchanger 54 arranged together with the outdoor blower 53, the expansion valve 52, and the indoor heat exchanger 12 arranged together with the indoor blower 11 are connected in this order by a refrigerant pipe to reversibly connect the refrigerant. A refrigeration cycle for circulation is configured. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 13 denotes a room temperature sensor for detecting room temperature. This refrigeration cycle can switch between cooling and heating by changing the flow of the refrigerant by the switching operation of the four-way valve 14.

Returning to FIG. 1, the indoor unit 10 is provided with a suction portion 21 on the front portion and the upper surface of the horizontally long casing 20, and the indoor air is supplied from the suction portion 21 to the casing 2 through the indoor blower 11.
0, and the heat is exchanged through the indoor heat exchanger 12.
, The heat-exchanged or dehumidified indoor air can be blown out. The blowout section 22 includes a horizontal louver 23 that opens and closes during operation and adjusts the blowout angle for cooling and heating. 24 is the housing 2
0, an infrared light receiving portion provided on the front of the housing 2;
0 is an operation status display section provided between the blow-out section 22 and the suction section 21 at the center of the front of the vehicle.

In this embodiment, the air conditioner 1 can be operated by two remote controllers having different operation functions. That is, one is the main remote controller 100 capable of instructing the operation of all the operations of the air conditioner 1 through infrared signals, and the other is the main remote controller 100 particularly necessary for the air conditioner 1. The sub remote controller 200 is capable of instructing only an operation function via an infrared signal.

The main remote controller 100 includes a thin, flat, vertically long main body 101, an opening / closing lid 102 on a part of a wide surface of the main body 101, and a display section 103 for frequently used operation confirmation. Operation switches which are provided on the outer surface of the main body 101 and are relatively infrequently used are provided inside the opening / closing lid 102. That is, in this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the main body 101 is substantially divided into two parts, the display unit 103 and the run / stop switch 104 are provided in front (upper part in the drawing), and the open / close lid 102 is provided in the rear. An air cleaning button 105 for operating the air cleaning operation on the surface of the opening / closing lid 102, and a PAM for operating the PAM efficiency operation
Powerful button 106, dehumidification button 107 for operating dehumidification operation, room temperature setting button 1 for setting temperature rise and decrease
08, sleep button 10 to stop operation after a certain time
9 are provided.

1, the operation switch button 110 is provided on the right side of the main body inside the opening / closing lid 102, as shown in the partial front view of the state where the opening / closing lid is opened as shown for reference at the lower left of FIG.
An operation switching button 114 including a wind speed switching button 111, an automatic wind direction button 112, and a humidifying ventilation button 113 is provided. A current time button 115, a reset button 116, and a time setting button 117 are provided in a center row, and a timer is provided in a left row. On 118, off button 119, reservation button 12
0, a cancel button 121 is provided. By pressing the various operation switches, the main remote controller 100 displays the input contents in the display unit 102, and converts the operation signal into an infrared signal.
The light is transmitted from an infrared transmitter 121 provided at an end of the main body 101 on the display unit 102 side.

On the other hand, the sub remote controller 200 has a display unit 220 for confirming operation contents on a front surface of a main body 201 having a shape which can be easily used by an operator's hand, and operates main functions of the air conditioner 1. Operation switch 230
It has. The operation switch 230 includes a cooling button 231, a dehumidification button 232, and a heating button 2 for directly operating a corresponding operation mode by pressing this button.
33, a stop button 234 for stopping the operation in the three operation modes, an up button 235 and a decrease button 236 for setting the indoor set temperature, and the operation set after a predetermined time, for example, one hour has elapsed. A good night button 237 is provided.

The sub remote controller 200 is provided with the air conditioner 1
The operation start function is integrated into the three operation modes, which are the main functions in the above, and the respective functions are provided as independent buttons (cooling button 231, dehumidification button 232, and heating button 233). It can be selected and operated directly by multiple operations. Further, since the stop button 234 is provided independently, erroneous operation can be reduced. According to this embodiment, since the operation functions are provided in a limited manner, each operation button is independently arranged with a large size and a wide area, so that erroneous operations can be reduced. The sub-remote controller 200 has a main body shape that is easily adapted to the hand by devising the arrangement of the battery and the operation switch.

Thus, according to this air conditioner 1,
The two remote controllers can be used properly according to the user's preference. For example, the main remote controller 100 capable of performing all of various operations is detachably provided on a wall surface via a mounting holder or the like, and the sub remote controller 200 capable of performing main operations is provided.
Is operated at hand, user convenience can be improved.

This means that the main remote controller 1
According to 00, although all the operations can be performed by one unit, various operation functions are incorporated, so that the operation buttons are small and a specific operation must be performed in several steps. For example, when switching from the cooling operation to the heating operation, the open / close lid 102 is opened and the operation switching button 110 is opened.
Must be depressed until a predetermined heating operation mode is set, and then the open / close lid 102 must be closed and the operation / stop button 104 must be depressed. At this time, since a large amount of information is included in the display unit 103, individual confirmation displays tend to be small. Furthermore, the operation start and stop are shared by one operation button. It is difficult to confirm whether or not the stop signal has been transmitted to the indoor unit 100.

Although these problems have been improved by improving automatic driving and arranging and arranging the operation switches, the operation is difficult to understand at a glance, so that the operator may not be able to handle the elderly or children. In some cases, it is difficult to use.

Therefore, in this embodiment, two remote controllers (the main remote controller 100) that can perform all operations and two remote controllers (the sub remote controllers 200) that can operate only the main functions are provided, and the air conditioner 1 is operated by the two remote controllers. By allowing the sub remote controller 200 to be easily operated by anyone, it is possible to obtain a remote controller having good visibility and good holding properties.

Hereinafter, the sub remote controller 200, which is a major feature of the present embodiment, will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

First, referring to FIG.
An outline of the circuit configuration of 0 will be described. FIG. 3 shows the sub remote controller 2
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a 00. 3, a sub remote controller 200 includes a microcomputer (microcomputer) 202 that processes an operation input signal from an operation switch 230, and a transmission circuit unit 203 that outputs an infrared signal.
It has. The microcomputer 202 determines an operation button of the operation switch 230 to determine which operation button is operated, and selects and determines a display content on the display unit 220 from the storage unit based on a result of the determination by the determination unit. A selection means is provided. Other microcomputers 20
2 includes a storage unit for storing and holding operation input signals and the like, a timer unit for controlling timing of reading and transmitting operation input signals, a code signal generation unit for generating code signals, and the like.
The output signal from the code signal generation unit drives the transistor of the transmission circuit unit 203 to operate the light emitting element. The microcomputer 202, the transmission circuit unit 203, and the display unit 230 are provided on a substrate 204 (see FIG. 5) on which switch wiring of the operation switches 230 is provided.

Next, the structure of the sub remote controller 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B are external views of the sub remote controller. FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a front view, and FIG.
Is a right side view, and (d) is an enlarged view near the display unit. FIG.
Is a structural view of the upper cover, and FIG.
(B) is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 6 is a structural view of a lower cover (a).
The figure is a rear view with the battery cover removed, and the figure (b) is a longitudinal sectional view of the figure (a). 7A and 7B are structural views of the battery cover, in which FIG. 7A is an internal appearance view and FIG. 7B is a longitudinal sectional view. FIG. 8 is a structural view of the button, and FIG.
(B) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (c) is a rear view.

Referring to FIG. 4, a sub remote controller 200 according to this embodiment has a thin / flat, vertically long housing having a small depth dimension D and a high height dimension H longer than the width dimension W, as shown in FIG. It has a body shape. As shown in FIG. 1A, the housing 201 has one end in the longitudinal direction and the infrared transmitting section 12.
1 and a compact shape with good holding performance when the user holds the infrared transmitting section 121 with one hand while facing the infrared receiving section 24 of the indoor unit 1 and further improving the internal mounting efficiency. I have.

That is, this housing 201 has a flat shape in which one end 201a side in the longitudinal direction has a small depth dimension D1 (minimum dimension) and a wide width dimension W, and the other end 201b side has a depth opposite thereto. It has a pointed shape with a large dimension D2 and a small lateral width W. Then, in the front view shown in FIG. 4B, the widthwise dimension W is set so that the two ends 201a and 201b in the different longitudinal directions of this form have an inverted parabolic shape in the front view shown in FIG.
Has a shape that gradually narrows from one end 201a toward the other end 201b while having a gentle convex bulge.

As shown in FIG. 3 (c), in the side view, the depth D1 is thin (small) from the one end 201a in the longitudinal direction to the other end 201b where the depth D2 is thick and swelling. Minus minus (concave arc)
To form a continuous shape.

Thus, the housing 201 can be formed into a shape having good holding properties. Further, since the housing 201 has a shape in which the center in the longitudinal direction is floated on the back side due to the minus round shape, stability (sitting) when the back side is placed in contact with a table surface or the like is good.

In this embodiment, by setting the width W to be 61 mm, the height H to be 170 mm, the depth D1 to be 13 mm, and the depth D2 to be 25 mm, it is possible to maintain the holding capacity in an adult's one hand. Has a good dimensional system. Here, in this embodiment, the size of the housing 201 is set to the above-described size, but the size is not specified to this size. For example, in general, this type of remote controller has a main body shape that is designed to fit the size (around 60 mm in width) of a remote controller holder used in stores. In consideration of the storability of the holder, since the sub remote controller 200 has a shape in which the lower portion is narrowed, the width W of the wide portion at the upper portion may be 65 mm. In consideration of the fact that the display unit 220 can display a size that is easy to see for the elderly, the width of the display unit is required to be 55 mm. Therefore, the width may be 55 mm to 65 mm. If the depth dimension D2 is in the range of 21 mm to 29 mm, the main body can be housed in the size of an AA battery and easy to grasp.

In this embodiment, the housing 20
1 comprises an upper cover 238 and a lower cover 239 which are largely divided into two in the depth direction. The upper cover 238 covers the front (front) side of the housing 201, and the lower cover 239 covers the rear surface of the housing 201, and is formed on a peripheral side surface of the housing 201. Mounted via. Here, the upper cover 238 is formed to have a uniform thin shape, and the lower cover 239 has a shape in which the other end 201b side is thicker in the depth direction.

In this embodiment, a portion of the lower cover 239 having a large depth dimension is constituted by a removable battery cover 240. That is, in this embodiment,
The housing 201 is divided into two parts in the depth direction, and the rear part is further
By dividing into two parts in one longitudinal direction, the battery housing portion 242 (see FIG. 6) can be formed in a portion covered by the battery cover 240 while improving the design of the appearance.

On the upper cover 238, the operation switch 230 composed of the display section 220 and a plurality of operation buttons is arranged. The display unit 220 includes:
The upper cover 238 is arranged on the end side of the portion where the lateral width W on the one end 201a side in the longitudinal direction is the widest. The display section 220 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape with four rounded corners. The display 220 displays a set temperature 221, for example, “set temperature 2
5 ° C. ”and the three operation mode setting buttons (231,
32, 233) are displayed in upper and lower two rows with an “inverted triangle” arrow mark 222 indicating the setting status. Although the three arrow marks 222 are illustrated in the drawing for the sake of explanation, actually, only one selected arrow mark among the three operation mode operation buttons is displayed. Reference numeral 223 denotes a transmission mark that indicates that infrared rays are being transmitted when the operation switch is pressed, and blinks during transmission.

As described above, in this embodiment, the display unit 220 and the operation buttons (the cooling button 231, the dehumidifying button 232, and the heating button 233) of the three operation modes are arranged close to each other, and the selection status is displayed on the display screen. , The user's line of sight is concentrated on the display unit 220 to improve visibility, and there is no need to provide a selection confirmation display unit, for example, an LED or the like, arranged near each operation button. .

The operation switch 230 is connected to the display unit 2
The operation button of the operation mode in a horizontal row arranged close to the lower side of the housing 20 so as to coincide with the longitudinal direction thereof, and the operation button (dehumidification button 232) at the center of the operation mode
01 operation buttons 234 arranged in the longitudinal direction
To 237.

The operation buttons in the operation mode include a dehumidification button 232 at the center, and a cooling button 231 and a heating button 233 on both sides of the operation button. ) Can be used to give operation instructions.

Further, below the dehumidifying button 232,
A stop button 234 that can stop the operation by pressing the operation button is provided. The traditional stop button is
In general, a remote control is used for both start and stop functions, for example, to reduce the size of the remote controller. When the dual-purpose button is pressed, the selected instruction is displayed on the operation status display section of the indoor unit, and the operation according to the instruction is performed. However, since the indoor unit is mounted on a wall surface and operated from a distant place, it is difficult to provide the operation status display unit that is large enough to allow anyone to see the reception status. Further, since the indoor unit does not stop immediately, there is a concern that the operator may mistakenly press the dual-purpose button several times and give a driving instruction again. This issue is particularly important for the aging society in recent years.
There is a need to improve. However, according to this embodiment, even if the button is pressed many times, the state is stopped, so that the above problem can be solved.

Also, below the stop button 234,
An up button 235 and a down button 236 for adjusting the set temperature are arranged. Button 23 for raising
When the button 236 for lowering with 5 is formed in a shape having opposing directions, for example, a triangular shape and an inverted triangular shape, its function can be clearly recognized by touch and visual sense of the fingertip.

Further, below the lower button 236,
A good night button 2 that can be put into an operation stop state after a predetermined time, for example, one hour in this embodiment.
37 are provided. This good night button 237
It is formed by mixing a phosphorescent material when pouring the material into the corresponding button portion during molding. Since the light-storing material has a function of storing light, the button shines even in a dark room, so that its location can be recognized. Therefore, it is possible to improve the usability of the good night button when the light is turned off.

Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the rear surface is formed in a minus round shape, so that the housing 201 is stably supported when it is installed on a table or the like. In this state, even if each operation button is pressed, in order to maintain the stable state, in this embodiment, the operation switch is provided between both ends of the minus round shape in the longitudinal direction of the housing 201. 230 is set. That is, the good night button 237 is disposed at a position corresponding to a portion to be installed on a table surface or the like below the minus radius shape or on the display unit 220 side.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the display unit 2
A direct button is provided in the vicinity of the button 20 and serves also as a setting and starting function of the most frequent operation mode, and a frequent stop button 234 is disposed immediately below the direct button, thereby reducing the operator's viewing angle and improving operability. Can be improved.
Further, since buttons for changing another set temperature and a button for a timer function are provided in a row in association with the stop button 234, visibility and operability can be improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, only the operation switches of the main functions which are frequently used are carefully selected and provided, so that the housing 201 can be arranged with a sufficient space on a wide surface. Operation buttons can be enlarged. Also, in this embodiment, by making each operation button have a different shape, it is possible to easily recognize the difference in function visually in addition to the touch of the finger with each operation button. For example, in this embodiment, the dehumidifying button 232 has a square shape, and the cooling buttons 23 on both sides thereof are provided.
1 and the heating button 233 are formed in an arc shape on the outside, so that the shape of each operation button is different, and the similarity of functions is realized by forming the three operation buttons as a united horizontally long track shape as a whole. Since it can be expressed in a form, it can be improved in design. Further, in this embodiment, in order to further improve the recognition by the sense of the finger, one projection 231a is provided on the surface of the cooling button 231, two projections 232a are provided on the dehumidification button, and 3 projections are provided on the heating button 233. The protrusions 233a are provided.

Also, like the three buttons, the stop button 234 has an oblique elliptical shape, the up button 235 and the down button 236 have a shape whose direction can be recognized as described above, and the sleep button 237 is horizontally long. It has an elliptical shape.

As described above, since the operation switch 230 of this embodiment is formed of large buttons having different shapes, the recognizability by visual and tactile sensation is improved to improve operability. Can be. In particular, according to this embodiment, operability that is easy for the elderly can be provided. In addition, different colors may be applied to the operation buttons. For example, the cooling button 233 is associated with a cold blue based on the association of coldness, and the heating button 231.
The operator can see at a glance if is a warm orange color and the dehumidification button is a green emerald green.

In this embodiment, the size of each operation button of the operation switch 230 is set to about 14 mm. In this embodiment, a rubber-based material is used. Therefore, if the material is used, a gap of about 3 mm is formed between the buttons and the size of each button is reduced from 12 mm to 1 mm.
When the size is within the range of 6 mm, molding is easy and operability can be improved.

Next, the housing structure will be further described with reference to FIGS. First, the upper cover 238 will be described with reference to FIG. The upper cover 238 is formed to have a shape in which the inner side is open and the depth direction is thin, and a plurality of ribs 243 for reinforcement and positioning of the substrate 204 are formed in the open side. And, the upper cover 23
8 on the open side thereof so as to close the open side.
And the substrate 204 is mounted. The substrate 204 has an opening 23 corresponding to each of the operation buttons when the wiring of the operation switch 230 and the liquid crystal display unit 205 correspond to the operation buttons.
0a and a predetermined position corresponding to the display unit 230 are wired or attached, and the microcomputer 202, the transmission circuit unit 203, and the like are further provided.

In this embodiment, the substrate 20
4 is provided so as to cover the inner opening portion according to the front shape of the upper cover 238, but is not limited thereto.
The shape may be adjusted to 0, for example, a “T” shape.

In this embodiment, a plurality of operation buttons are formed integrally to improve the assembling property. For example, FIG.
An operation button group 23 integrally formed with a button 34, an up button 235, a down button 236, and a sleep button 237.
0c. The operation button group 230c is formed of a soft material, and a conductive material is provided in a contact portion with the substrate 204 so as to correspond to each operation button. When the operation button is pressed, the conductive material is applied to the substrate 204. , And generates an operation signal.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the cooling button 231, the dehumidifying button 232, and the heating button 233 are also operation button groups 230b having the same structure.

In this embodiment, two operation button groups 230b and 230c are provided, which are positioned by the ribs 234, and have different operation button shapes. In addition, it is possible to reduce an installation error due to misplacement and improve assemblability.

Next, the structure of the lower cover will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, the lower cover 239 is
The substrate 2 is held by the opened inner side and the upper cover 238.
04 is attached to the open inside of the upper cover 238 so as to sandwich the cover 04. The lower cover 239 has a plurality of ribs 244 formed therein for reinforcing and positioning the substrate 204. Then, an edge positioned at an end of the lower cover 239 on the display unit 220 side is attached to the upper cover 23.
8 and the other end in the longitudinal direction is attached to the upper cover 238 via a screw (screw hole 245).

A battery housing 242 covered by a battery cover 240, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The battery housing section 242 is provided with two rows of recesses capable of housing two AAA batteries such that the longitudinal direction thereof matches the longitudinal direction of the housing 201.

Thus, the sub remote controller 200
Since the battery can be accommodated on the end 201B side in the longitudinal direction of the housing 201 having a depth dimension D and a tapered width W, the housing 201 has good holding performance and good internal mounting efficiency. Realizes body shape.

Further, a reset switch 246 is provided at the pointed tip of the battery storage section to prevent erroneous operation and effectively use space.

Next, the battery cover will be described with reference to FIG. The battery cover 240 is provided with the lower cover 239.
7 (a) of FIG. 7 has a size that covers a portion having a pointed depth dimension. The battery cover 240 cuts the middle of a portion having a depth dimension that protrudes to the rear of the housing 201, and slides in a sharp pointed direction so that the battery cover 240 can be attached and detached. Mounting ribs 24 on the side and the inner end facing the side.
7, 248, and a rib 249 for strength in the depth direction and a battery press, and a reinforcing rib 250 for opposing a stress from the lateral width direction are provided inside. Thus, the battery cover 240 can be easily attached and detached, and the strength of the battery cover 240 is improved.

Next, a method of using the sub remote controller according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 shows the holding posture at the time of operating the sub remote controller.
(A) A diagram showing a use state in which the sub remote controller is held with one hand,
(B) is a use state diagram of holding the sub remote controller while operating with one hand, (c) is a use state diagram showing a holding posture viewed from the side of (b) diagram, and FIG. Shows the usage state of the.

As described above, the sub remote controller 200 according to this embodiment has a form having excellent holding properties.
This will be described with a typical holding posture. First of all, the structure of the human hand is natural when the object is gripped and held with the thumb and other fingers, the thumb and forefinger side is wide, then the middle finger and the child finger side are narrow and the posture is natural and excellent in retention. . In other words, the index finger has a wide width, and the little finger has a narrow width. In addition, a human hand has room in the vicinity of the middle finger, and the ring finger and the little finger have no space in comparison with other fingers. In other words, a shape in which the vicinity of the middle finger is swollen and gradually narrows toward the little finger is a shape that fits in the hand and is easy to hold. When such a shape is held with one hand, a thin finger on the index finger side and a thick finger on the little finger side can further improve the holdability. In this way, by reversing the width dimension W and the depth dimension D at both ends with respect to the longitudinal direction, it is possible to form a shape that is hard to slip and drop when held.

The shape of the sub remote controller 200 according to the present embodiment has a shape suitable for the hand of the person described above, and the user can take various operation postures.

For example, FIG. 9A shows that the sub remote controller 200 is held with one hand and the operation switch 2 is held with the other hand.
30 shows a holding posture for operating the device 30. In this posture, the sub remote controller 230 is firmly held in the left hand, and the infrared transmitting section 121 at the tip is easily directed to the indoor unit 1. Further, the operation switches 230 of the sub remote controller 200 are arranged such that the stop buttons 234 and the like are arranged in a line in the center, so that the fingers holding both sides of the housing 201 do not disturb the operation of the operation switches 230. .

(B) and (c) show the attitude of holding the sub remote controller 200 with one hand and operating the operation switch 230 with the thumb of the holding hand. In this holding posture, the case 201 tapered by the little finger and the ring finger is used.
Can be stably held, and the thin part near the display unit 220 can be stably held with the index finger.
The desired operation button can be easily pressed with the thumb.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, according to the housing shape of sub remote controller 230, the battery can be easily replaced. For example, FIG. 10 shows a posture in which battery replacement is performed with both hands. In this position, the housing 2
01, with the wide portion of the width dimension W toward the front and the sharp side forward, the lower cover 239 facing upward, and the housing 201 held from both sides. Then, while firmly holding the housing 201 with both hands, push the protruding portion inside the battery cover 240 toward the pointed end side (in the direction of the arrow) with the thumb, thereby pressing the battery cover 2.
40 can be removed. At this time, the housing 201
The direction in which the lateral width W of the sub remote controller 200 is opened is opposite to the direction in which the battery cover 240 is removed.
Can be reduced. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the portion of the battery cover 240 projecting in the depth direction can be scratched, so that it can be removed with a slight force.

Of course, the battery cover 240 can be removed with one hand, but the removal of the battery cover 240 by the two-handed operation can provide good usability to elderly people with weak gripping force.

[0068]

According to the present invention, one of a plurality of operation modes can be specified and operated by one operation, and the operation can be stopped by operation of the stop function. A remote control device for a machine can be provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, one of a plurality of operation modes is specified and operated by one operation, and the operation can be stopped by operating the stop function. Since it is provided in the housing, it is possible to provide a small-sized remote controller for an air conditioner that has good holding properties and can be easily operated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of a sub remote control unit of the air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an external view of a sub remote operation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of an upper cover of the sub remote operation unit according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a structural diagram of a lower cover of the sub remote operation unit according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a structural view of a battery cover of the sub remote operation unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a structural diagram of operation buttons of a sub remote control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a use state diagram when the sub remote control unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is operated.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a use state of the sub remote control unit according to the embodiment of the present invention when the battery is replaced.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air conditioner, 10 ... Indoor unit 10, 50 ... Outdoor unit, 100 ... Main lower main remote control, 121 ... Infrared transmission part, 200 ... Sub remote control, 201 ... Housing, 204 ...
Substrate, 220: display unit, 230: operation switch, 231
... Cooling button, 232 ... Dehumidification button, 233 ... Heating button, 234 ... Stop button, 235 ... Up button, 23
6. Lower button, 237 ... Good night button, 239 ...
Upper cover, 240 ... lower cover, 240 ... battery cover.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroaki Nakajima 1-280 Higashi Koigakubo, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo Inside the Hitachi, Ltd.Design Research Laboratory Co., Ltd. F-term (ref.) 3L061 BB01

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner remote control device that performs remote control via an infrared signal, wherein one of a plurality of operation modes is specified, and a plurality of operations for operating the specified operation mode by one operation. A remote control device for an air conditioner, comprising: a button; and one stop button for stopping the operation specified by one of the plurality of operation buttons. 2. A remote control device for an air conditioner that performs remote control via an infrared signal, wherein the housing has a height longer than a width and a depth smaller than the width. With a wide surface as the front, a display unit and a plurality of operation switches are arranged on the front, the width of one end in the longitudinal direction of the front is wide, the other end is tapered, and the other end is tapered. The side has a shape with a depth dimension larger than one end having the wide width, an infrared transmitter is provided at one end of the wide end, and a battery housing is provided at the other end. A display is provided, and one of a plurality of operation modes is provided inside the display in the longitudinal direction of the housing.
One, and a plurality of operation buttons for operating the specified operation mode by one operation are arranged in a horizontal direction. Further, inside the housing in the longitudinal direction of the operation buttons,
A remote control device for an air conditioner, comprising one stop button for stopping the operation specified by one of the plurality of operation buttons. 3. The remote control for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the operation buttons include two operation buttons for cooling and heating. apparatus.